Israel, Turkey, U.S. Conduct Exercise

Israeli, Turkish and U.S. naval vessels conducted a joint exercise off the Israeli coast Wednesday, their fifth annual maneuvers.

As in the past, neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt _ both of which have signed peace treaties with Israel _ declined invitations to join.

The series of exercises, called "Reliant Mermaid," is aimed at drilling rescue operations at sea, dealing with ships in distress in daytime and night operations.

Israel and Turkey have been forging a military-related alliance in recent years. Israel has been upgrading Turkish aircraft in multi-million-dollar contracts. The United States is Israel's closest ally.

Officers from the three nations said that the exercise was not aimed against any other country; rather, it was designed to increase cooperation among the participants.